Pneumatic-tube system.



PATENTED JAN. 20, 1-903.

K. E. STUART.

PNEUMATIC TUBE SYSTEM.

APPLIUATIQN FILED MAY 31, 1902.

'no M91931 m2 "cams PETERS ca. Pumau'ma, wunmsmn. n. c

UNITED STATES ATENT CFFICE.

KENNETH E. STUART, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PNEUMATIC-TUBE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 718,740, dated January 20, 1903.

Application filed May 31, 1902. Serial No. 109,603. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, KENNETH E. STUART, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Tube Systems, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof.

My invention relates to pneumatic-tube systems, and has for its object to provide a system comprising a multiple series of stations connected in endless circuit and so construct ed that a carrier can be inserted at any station and automatically delivered at a determined one of the other stations. In short, the object of my invention may be stated to be to give to each of the stations on the line the ordinary capacity for selective distribution of a central or terminal station.

Broadly speaking, my invention consistsin connecting a series of-station-heads by pneumatic tubes, connecting them in endless series, providing each station-head with selective delivery mechanism adapted to coact with selective device on the carriers to either effeet the delivery of the carrier at the station or, in. the alternative, shunt the carriers into the exit-tube leading to the next adjacent station. I provide means for causing the circulation of air through the endless conduit, involving adjacent parts for the admission and exit of the air and a valve or gate situated in the tube between said parts, normally affording a barrier to the passage of air from one part to the other, eXcept through the circuit, but so constructed as to give passage to a carrier passing between stations through the tube-section in which the parts are formed. By preference I use in my improved system the construction of station-heads and selective mechanism described in my pending application for Letters Patent filed January 27, 1902, Serial No. 91,312, and also by preference I employ the vacuum system for causing the air to circulate through the pneumatic tubes rather than the pressure system.

Reference being now had to the drawings in which my invention is illustrated, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic View illustrating a system embodying my invention in its preferred form. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, shown on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing the ports for admission and exhaust of air and the intervening valve, this view being shown on a still larger scale. Fig. 4 is aview on an enlarged scale, showing the gate and selective mechanism used in connection with them; and Fig. 5 is an elevation of a carrier adapted for use in the illustrated system.

A, A, and A are the pneumatic-tube sections,c0nnecting the three stations illustrated in Fig. 1, the portion of the pneumatic tube A on the left-hand side of the valve being indicated at a.

B is a chamber surrounding the portion of the tube a, and connecting with it through ports B, the chamber B being connected with a suction-fan or vacuum-chamber (not shown) through a conduit B 0 is a chamber forming the extreme righthand portion of the tube portion 66 and provided with ports C 0 &c., for the admission of air. It is also shown as formed with an opening 0 at its top, which also may serve for the admission of air, but is especially provided to give convenient access to the valve or gate indicated at D, which may be, as shown, a simple leather flap-valve secured to the top of the casing B and D and closing against a seat formed by the face of the said casing B and indicated at B E, E, and E indicate gated openings for the insertion of carriers at the various stations.

F, F, and F indicate the stations, or, more specifically in the construction shown, what I would call station-heads, having extensions F which connect with the delivery end of the tube-sections, and an exit-opening F arranged in the path of the entering carrier, the top of the station-head being curved to direct the carrier to this opening. The station-head is also provided with a receivinghopper, (indicated at F and connected with the end of the outgoing tube,) the function of this hopper being to receive any carriers which are not delivered through the exitopening and direct them into the outgoingtube section. By preference the construction and location of this hopper are such that the carrier in falling into and through it will be reversed, so that it will pass into the outgoing tube with that end foremost which was at the rear in the incoming tube.

The exit-openings F of the station-heads are normally closed by gates G, pivoted to the head by hinges (indicated at G) and having connected with them, through pivots G levers G G, the ends G of which extend in front of the gates, so as to be engaged by the heads of properly-formed carriers in advance of the impact of such carrier-heads against the gate itself. The outer arms G of the levers are arranged to be engaged by detents G preferably elastic, in one position and to pass freely by such detents in the other po-.

sition, as described in my before-mentioned application for Letters Patent.

H, Fig. 5, indicates the carrier, which for the system illustrated is provided with one plain head I and one head J, having a central recess, (indicated at J such recess being of such dimensions that it will clear the end G of the selective lever, with the result that the head J will come in contact with the gate without moving the lever G G In operation a carrier-inserted through the openings E with its head I in advance will pass into the station-head F and be directed against the gate G; but the head I in approaching the gate will first come in contact with the lever end G, pressing it outward and moving the lever end G3 to a position to clear the detent G so that the gate will open freely under the impact of the carrier, permitting it to pass out. On the other hand, if the head J is inserted in advance the carrier in passing into the station-head F will clear the lever end G, owing to the opening J in the head, and coming in contact with the gate G will fail to open it, owing to the engagement of the lever end G with the detent G The motion of the carrier will therefore be arrested at the gate, and it will fall into the hopper F, but owing to the shape of said hopper with its end I in advance, so that on reaching the station-head F the head I will act to open the gate in the manner already described.

The circulation of air through the conduit is through the ports 0 and tube-sections a into the head F, thence through the tube A to the head F thence through the tube A to the head F, and thence through the tube-section A to the ports 13 and through the head B and conduit B to the suction-fan, the valve D preventing the flow of air directly from the ports 0 to the ports B. The valve D, however, is of such character that it will readily move out under the impact of a carrier passing through the tube-section A, permitting it to move into the tube-section a and immediately closing behind it.

My new pneumatic-tube system is obviously capable of material changes in detail of construction without affecting the essential features of the invention, and I wish to be clearly understood as not confining myself to any of the details illustrated, except where such detail is specifically made a part of the specific claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A pneumatic-tube system consisting of a series of station-heads provided with selective discharge appliances whereby an incoming carrier is automatically delivered at the station or shunted into the conduit leading to the next station in accordance with the character of selective appliances on such carrier, in combination with a series of tube-conduits connecting the series of stations in-an endless circuit, means for inserting carriers at the respective stations, a suction-conduit connected with one of the tubes, an openinginto the tube for admission of air adjacent to the suction-conduit connection and a flap-valve in the conduit between the suction and airadmission connections adapted to open under the impact of a carrier.

2. In a pneumatic-tube system, a series of station-heads having exit-openings arranged in the line of travel of an entering carrier and receiving-hoppers arranged to receive the carriers Whose motion is arrested at the exit-opening, in combination with gates normally closing the exit-opening and adapted to be opened by the impact of a carrier entering the head, means for locking the gates so that they will arrest the motion of a carrier, selective mechanism for throwing said gatelocking devices into and out of operation arranged to be actuated by selective devices on the incoming carriers, tube-conduits leading from the receiving-hoppers of each station-head to the adjacent station-head so as to connect said heads in endless circuit,means for causing a current of air to flow through the circuit connected to one of the tubes and including adjacent ports for the admission and exit of the air-current, and a valve normally closing the tube between the points where air enters and leaves it arranged to give passage to a carrier passing through said tube.

3. In a pneumatic-tube system, a series of station-heads having exit-openings arranged in the line of travel of an entering carrier and receiving-hoppers arranged to receive the carriers whose motion is arrested at the exit-opening, in combination with gates normally closing the exit-openings and adapted to be opened by the impact of a carrier entering the head, means for locking the gates so that they will arrest the motion of a carrier, selective mechanism for throwing said gatelocking devices into and out of operation arranged to be actuated by selective deviceson the incoming carriers, tube-conduits leading from the receiving-hoppers of each station-head to the adjacent station-head so as to connect said heads in endless circuit, means for exhausting the airin the system connected to one of the tubes, an adjacent air-admission port in said tube and a valve normally closing I the tube between the points where air enters and leaves it arranged to give passage to a carrier passing through said tube.

KENNETH E. STUART. Witnesses: OHAs. F. MYERs, D. STEWART. 

